Background Routine preoperative laboratory testing for ambulatory surgery is not recommended. Methods Patients who underwent elective hernia repair (N = 73,596) were identified from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database (2005–2010). Patterns of preoperative testing were examined. Multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with testing and postoperative complications. Results A total of 46,977 (63.8%) patients underwent testing, with at least one abnormal test recorded in 61.6% of patients. In patients with no NSQIP comorbidities (N = 25,149) and no clear indication for testing, 54% received at least one test. In addition, 15.3% of tested patients underwent laboratory testing the day of the operation. In this group, surgery was done despite abnormal results in 61.6% of same day tests. In multivariate analyses, testing was associated with older age, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) class >1, hypertension, ascites, bleeding disorders, systemic steroids, and laparoscopic procedures. Major complications (reintubation, pulmonary embolus, stroke, renal failure, coma, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, septic shock, bleeding, or death) occurred in 0.3% of patients. After adjusting for patient and procedure characteristics, neither testing nor abnormal results were associated with postoperative complications. Conclusions Preoperative testing is overused in patients undergoing low-risk, ambulatory surgery. Neither testing nor abnormal results were associated with postoperative outcomes. On the basis of high rates of testing in healthy patients, physician and/or facility preference and not only patient condition currently dictate use. Involvement from surgical societies is necessary to establish guidelines for preoperative testing.
Gallbladder disease is common and, if managed incorrectly, can lead to high rates of morbidity, mortality, and extraneous costs. The most common complications of gallstones include biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, common bile duct stones, and gallstone pancreatitis. Ultrasound is the initial imaging modality of choice. Additional diagnostic and therapeutic studies including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are not routinely required but may play a role in specific situations. Biliary colic and acute cholecystitis are best treated with early laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients with common bile duct stones should be managed with cholecystectomy, either after or concurrent with endoscopic or surgical relief of obstruction and clearance of stones from the bile duct. Mild gallstone pancreatitis should be treated with cholecystectomy during the initial hospitalization to prevent recurrence. Emerging techniques for cholecystectomy include single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Early results in highly selected patients demonstrate the safety of these techniques. The management of complications of the gallbladder should be timely and evidence-based, and choice of procedures, particularly for common bile duct stones, is largely influenced by facility and surgeon factors.
BACKGROUND Sufficient evidence suggests that preoperative biliary stenting is associated with increased complication rates after pancreaticoduodenectomy. METHODS Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and linked Medicare claims data (1992–2007) were used to identify patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. We evaluated trends in the use of preoperative biliary stenting, timing of physician visits relative to stenting, and time to surgical resection and symptoms in stented and unstented patients. RESULTS Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 2,573 patients. 52.6% of patients underwent preoperative biliary stenting (N=1,354). Of these, 75.3% underwent endoscopic stenting only, 18.9% received a percutaneous stent, and 5.8% underwent both procedures. The overall stenting rate increased from 29.6% of patients in 1992–95 to 59.1% in 2004–07 (p<0.0001). Preoperative stenting was more common in patients with jaundice, cholangitis, pruritus, or coagulopathy (p<0.05 for all). 77.7% of stented patients had a stent placed prior to seeing a surgeon. Stenting prior to surgical consultation was associated with longer indwelling stent time compared to stenting after surgical consultation (37.3 vs. 27.0 days, p<0.0001). In addition, stented patients had longer times from surgeon visit to pancreatectomy than those who were not stented (24.2 days vs. 17.2 days, p< 0.0001). CONCLUSION Use of preoperative biliary stenting doubled from 1992–2007 despite evidence that stenting is associated with increased perioperative infectious complications. The majority of stenting occurred prior to surgical consultation and is associated with significant delay in time to operation. Surgeons should be involved early in order to prevent unnecessary stenting and improve outcomes.
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